Reaching the Finish Line: Achieving Our Dreams

I spend months updating my first children’s novel, The Angels of Abbey Creek. I revise the words, check the punctuation and grammar, add a new image to each chapter, and create a fresh eye-catching cover.

Eventually, I reach the finish line: I have a file and a cover image to upload to Amazon.

Unfortunately, on upload day, my daughter spends hours downloading a massive game to her new computer, sucking up the Internet. There’s hardly any bandwidth left over for me. I spend hours uploading, waiting, viewing, adjusting, uploading, waiting, viewing, and adjusting.

Eventually, I reach the finish line: I have uploaded files I’m happy with. I request a proof copy of my book. And then I wait. I wait three weeks.

On Saturday afternoon, the dog barks, and I shout, “Quinn! Stop barking. There’s no one outside.” But there was someone there. They’ve left an Amazon parcel by our front door. It’s the proof copy of my book.

I hardly dare look at it. What if it’s full of mistakes? What if I have to reformat the files? I gather my courage and look at the book, scrutinising the cover. The spine words are where they should be. The cover image of the stunning Aussie bush catches my eye. The title sings. I flip the book pages. “The images have printed well!” I announce with a big grin

I text my cheer-squad daughters: The proof copy of  The Angels of Abbey Creek arrived. It looks good! I don’t think I’ll need to change anything. Messages of congratulations shoot back to my phone. My daughters are proud of me.

I pour a glass of red wine. I settle on the sofa, resting my socked feet on the coffee table. I bask in a sense of achievement. Then I spy a copy of the next book in my Angel series on the table next to an outstretched foot. “I’m going to update this book next,” I say reaching for it.

That’s when I realise there’s a problem with my proof copy: it’s the wrong size. It’s slightly larger than the other books in the series. And that just won’t do. Any passionate reader will tell you that all the books in a series must match.

So, I spend more time adjusting my book manuscript file and creating a smaller cover. Yet again, I reach the finish line. I order a proof copy.

I’m now waiting for the book to arrive.

One day, in two or three weeks, Quinn will bark, and I’ll open our front door and discover an Amazon parcel outside. I’ll rip off the packaging to reveal the second proof copy of my book. It will be perfect.

I’ll text my daughters to tell them the good news. They’ll congratulate me. I’ll grin and hit ‘publish’. An updated version of The Angels of Abbey Creek will appear on Amazon.

I’ll have reached the final finish line.

While waiting for that day to arrive, I’m updating the second book in my Angel Family series: The Angels of Gum Tree Road. I’m giving it a new cover and chapter images so the book matches The Angels of Abbey Creek.

Of course, I’ll also have to update the third book, The Angels of Wallaby Way.

I learnt a lot while revising The Angels of Abbey Creek. I now know Word inside out and how to use it to format a book file. (My daughter Imogen formatted the first editions of my books.)

I’ve learnt about patience, perseverance and the futility of frustration.

I also learnt that if I’m willing to learn new skills, work through problems, and put in a lot of effort, I can achieve my dreams. Dreams are worth pursuing.

You can achieve your dreams, too.

Perhaps you’d like to write a book like me. If you do, open a notebook or a file on your device and begin. It won’t be easy. It will take a lot of work. You’ll question your ability to write. You might doubt what you’re doing, tempted to believe no one will be interested in what you want to say. Perhaps you’ll imagine people reading and criticising your book. How will that feel? Will you wonder if it’s safer not to risk your heart, which might be fragile, easily dented by thoughtless words? Could it be safer not to write a book after all?

No. You’ll learn a lot while writing.

And when you have your book in your hands, you’ll feel fabulous. You’ll feel a great sense of achievement. Your kids will be so proud of you. You’ll inspire them to do amazing things of their own.

There’s only a couple of things left to talk about:

What will your book be about?

When will you begin?

Of course, you might not want to write a book, but you could still have a dream. Why not stop by and share it?

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